Maintaining product integrity with a transport simulation laboratory

Transport Simulation Laboratories (TSLs) are critical facilities that play a significant role in ensuring the safe and effective transportation of pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and other environmentally sensitive products. These laboratories are specifically designed to replicate real-world transportation conditions to assess the impact of temperature, humidity, vibration, and other environmental factors on product stability during transit. By subjecting the products to rigorous testing within controlled environments, TSLs help identify potential risks and optimise packaging and transportation strategies to maintain product integrity.

The client needed a fully automated vibration table and temperature chamber capable of recording tests of various shipping methods for pharmaceutical products. They needed integration of dissimilar pieces of equipment and could not solve the problem alone.

Verista identified key pieces of equipment the customer needed for proper simulation. Our team defined an integration strategy for dissimilar equipment protocols. We engaged with the client for requirements definition and a path to achieve their goals.

Verista provided the entire solution (electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, automation, software). The solution allows the client to build custom profiles (temperature, humidity, vibrations, all variable durations). The system included custom data collection and report generation for objective evidence.

Transport simulation chamber integration and features

• Profile Control from HMI and Verista software module
• Complete custom profile creation (temp, RH, vibration)
•  Remote Web Access for chamber setup if needed
•  SMS Notification Client for messaging of stakeholders
•  Microsoft Active Directory Integration
• Corporate SQL farm integration
• Rockwell Automation PLC Platform with OPC comms
• Auto serial port detection and addressing
• Updated old VB6 Lansmont controller software to .NET (written by Verista)

Here are several benefits that you can gain from using transport simulation laboratories:

Transport simulation laboratories enable you to assess the impact of transportation conditions on product quality. By subjecting products to simulated real-world scenarios, you can identify potential risks such as temperature excursions, vibration, or humidity exposure, and take appropriate measures to prevent product degradation or loss of efficacy.

Regulatory authorities such as the FDA and EMA have strict guidelines regarding the transportation of pharmaceutical and biotech products. Utilising transport simulation laboratories helps you demonstrate compliance with these regulations by providing documented evidence of how your products perform under various transportation conditions.

TSLs allow you to evaluate and optimise your packaging and shipping strategies. By testing different packaging materials, configurations, and transportation modes, you can determine the most effective and efficient methods to protect the integrity of your products throughout the supply chain.

By proactively identifying potential transportation risks and optimising packaging strategies, you can minimise product losses and reduce the need for costly retesting and revalidation. This can lead to significant cost savings and increased operational efficiency.

Transport simulation laboratories contribute to improving patient safety by ensuring that temperature-sensitive medications and therapies maintain their efficacy and safety throughout the transportation process. By minimising the possibility of product degradation, you can enhance patient outcomes and deliver reliable treatments.

TSLs allow you to assess the robustness of your supply chains and make informed decisions to enhance resilience. By identifying potential vulnerabilities or weak points in the transportation process, you can take proactive measures to minimise disruptions and ensure the reliability and availability of your products.

Utilising transport simulation laboratories to validate and optimise transportation processes can give you a competitive edge. By demonstrating a commitment to product quality and patient safety, you can build trust with customers, regulatory authorities, and stakeholders, which can differentiate you from competitors.